Current Site Status

The Stauffer Chemical Company (Tarpon Springs) site includes an area where chemical manufacturing facilities operated from 1947 until 1981. EPA placed the site on the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1994 because of contaminated ground water, sediment and soil resulting from facility operations. EPA, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and Stauffer Management Company, the site’s potentially responsible party (PRP), have investigated site conditions and taken steps to clean up the site in order to protect people and the environment from contamination. Site contamination does not currently threaten people living and working near the site. By maintaining the site, monitoring ground water and undertaking Five-Year Reviews, EPA, FDEP and the site’s PRP continue to protect people and the environment from site contamination.

Site Location and Background

The 130-acre site is located on Anclote Road, approximately two miles southeast of Tarpon Springs in Pinellas County, Florida. The site is two miles upstream from the Gulf of Mexico. The site includes a 19-acre capped area on the northern portion of the site and a 29-acre capped area on the southern portion of the site. The Anclote River borders the site to the south and west. Industrial and commercial businesses border the site to the north and east. Site surroundings include light industrial, commercial and residential land uses.

The site includes the area where Victor Chemical Company and later Stauffer Chemical Company operated chemical manufacturing facilities from 1947 to 1981. Victor Chemical Company built the facilities and began operations in 1947. Stauffer Chemical Company acquired the facilities from Victor Chemical Company in 1960 and continued manufacturing operations until 1981. Operations included production of phosphorous using phosphate ore mined from deposits in Florida. Stauffer Chemical Company decommissioned and dismantled the facilities in 1983. In 1994, EPA listed the site on the NPL.

In 1997, Stauffer Chemical Company formed Stauffer Management Company, which owns the site. The site is not currently in use.

Investigation and Cleanup Responsibility / Oversight

Site Cleanup Plan

In 1998, EPA issued a cleanup plan (a Record of Decision or ROD) for the site. The plan included the following activities:

Digging up contaminated sediment and soil from a portion of the main pond area, the slag area and other on-site areas.

Consolidating the dug-up contaminated sediment and soil and placing a cap over contaminated material at the site.

Limiting the movement of contaminated soil to minimize dust.

Placing institutional controls on the site property to limit land use and ground water use on site.

Solidifying and stabilizing contaminated sediment and soil below the water table and placing it beneath a cap on site.

In 2007, EPA issued an Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD) to include the use of a ground water cut-off wall instead of solidification to reduce the spread of contamination from pond areas through shallow ground water.

Cleanup Progress

The site’s PRP conducted soil cleanup activities from 2010 until 2011. The PRP placed dug-up soil and sediment in two areas and then placed caps over these areas to cover all contaminated material. Fencing surrounds the capped areas to prevent access.

The PRP restored the original shoreline on the western side of the site near Meyers Cove during the digging up of sediment and soil in the pond areas. The PRP placed a ground water cut-off wall under the cap on the southern portion of the site to slow the spread of contaminated ground water on site.

Community Involvement

EPA has worked with the community and its state partner to develop a long-term cleanup plan for the site, reflecting the Agency’s commitment to safe, healthy communities and environmental protection. Community engagement and public outreach are core components of EPA program activities.

EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities to solicit community input and to make sure the public remains informed about site activities throughout the cleanup process. Outreach efforts have included public notices, interviews and public meetings.